What happened
On February 1, 2019, a Hawker Beechcraft G36, registration PR-WYN, was performing a private flight from Aragarças to Goiânia, Brazil. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and four passengers. During the landing at Santa Genoveva Airport (SBGO), the aircraft experienced a series of bounces, a phenomenon known as porpoising. The aircraft touched the runway three times before the nose gear failed. Following the structural failure, the aircraft traveled approximately 320 meters along the runway before coming to a complete stop. The impact caused substantial damage to the landing gear, the lower nose section, and the propeller assembly. All five occupants escaped the incident without injury.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance records, the pilot's training history, and meteorological data. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was airworthy, within weight and balance limits, and that all maintenance logs were up to date. While the pilot reported significant wind variations during the landing, METAR data indicated gusts up to 21 knots, though other aircraft in the traffic pattern did not report similar turbulence.
Analysis of video footage revealed that the approach was conducted with a glide slope shallower than the recommended 3 degrees. A technical analysis of the landing gear by the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) determined that the failure of the main landing gear was caused by structural overload rather than material fatigue. Furthermore, the investigation reviewed the pilot's flight history, noting that the pilot had approximately 160 total flight hours, much of which was in much lighter aircraft, and that previous training records indicated a tendency toward unstable landings.
Findings
- The primary cause of the landing gear failure was structural overload resulting from the porpoising motion.
- The pilot's lack of experience in this specific aircraft type contributed to the inability to stabilize the aircraft during the landing phase.
- Inappropriate use of flight controls during the landing sequence led to the series of bounces.
- The pilot'ended the flight as the first solo operation in this specific aircraft type, having previously relied on more experienced pilots for confidence building.
- The pilot's decision-making and judgment were influenced by limited experience with the handling characteristics of the G36 compared to much lighter training aircraft.